Crabbed
/ˈkræbd/noun
Rough, harsh, or difficult in manner, style, or handwriting.
Did you know?The word comes from the same Germanic root as *crab*, likely because the image of a sideways, bent, awkward creature became a metaphor for harsh or awkward behavior.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*krab-
“to bend, twist, or claw”
Old English
OE
crabbed
“crooked, rough, crablike”
Middle English
ME
crabbed
“ill-tempered, harsh, difficult to read or understand”
Modern English
English
crabbed
“rough, gruff, or hard to decipher”